DC COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE

Benefits of a Garden

• Improves quality of life – Gardening is considered physical activity and a great source of exercise – Spend time out o f doors

• Improves health of gardeners – Source for nutritious fresh produce (study show increase in fruit and vegetable consumption is correlated to gardening families

• Beneficial for the environment – Reduces carbon foot print – Increases greenspace improving both air and water quailty – Community involvement and stewardship discouraged others from littering and dumping

• Celebrates diversity – Gardens bring together people from diverse cultures, different age groups, and different socioeconomic classes

• Conserves resources – Locally grown produce reduces the carbon foot print and conserves fossil fuels – Green space reduces storm water runoff

• Improves community – Gardens and farmers markets in high crime areas have effectively displaced drug dealers – Community involvement and stewardship discouraged others from littering and dumping

• Gardens make sense economically – Reduces municipal costs (maintained by volunteers) – Reduces household food budget by providing a source of fresh produce

What kind of garden do you want?

Garden Options

• Container garden

• Raised bed

• Window garden

• In-ground garden

• Community garden

• Backyard garden

Location, location, location! Factors to consider when selecting your site:

- Sun exposure

- Trees and shrubbery

- Water source

- Accessibility

- Potential soil contamination

- Start small

- Work with the space you have

- Environmental conditions

What do you want to grow?

• Easy to grow

• Your favorites

• Most frequently used

• Expensive/specialty/rare

• Grows well in this climate

• Nutritious

• Homegrown tastes better!

When selecting crops consider the following:

Vegetable Families Cold Weather Crops:

• Alliaceae (onion family): onions, leeks, chives, garlic

• Brassicaceae /Cruciferae (cabbage family): (broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, turnips, radishes, greens

• Compositae /Asteraceae (daisy family): lettuce, sunflowers, endive

Warm Weather Crops:

• Apiaceae /Umbelliferae: carrots, parsnips, celery, parsley, caraway, coriander/cilantro, cumin, anise, dill, fennel

• Chenopodiaceae (amaranth family): beets, chard, spinach

• Cucurbitaceae (gourd family): cucumber, summer squash, winter squash, pumpkins, melons

• Fabaceae (legume family): beans, lentils, peanuts, peas, carob, tamarind, alfalfa

• Lamiaceae (mint family): mint, basil , rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, thyme, lavender

• Solanaceae (nightshade family): tomato, pepper, eggplant, potatoes, tomatillos

Tools of the Trade

• Shovel

• Hard rake

• Hoe

• String

• Measuring tape

• Stakes

Only a few materials are needed to start your garden:

Planning the Garden Layout

- Plant taller crops north and west of other plants

- Space plants/rows according to specifications

- Plant varieties that thrive in this area (see handout)

- Successive plantings for a continual harvest

- Try companion planting (see handout)

- Separate annuals from perennials

- Keep a garden diary

Raised Beds: Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages:

• Earlier planting in spring

• Better drainage

• Higher yields

• Less compaction

• Accessibility

Disadvantages:

• More expensive

• More watering may be necessary

Let’s Dig In!

In-Ground Garden Installation:

– Remove sod using a flat shovel or hoe

– Dig approximately 8” deep and turn soil under, breaking up the large clods with a hard rake; remove large stones and debris

– Add and work in a soil amendment, such as compost, to increase organic matter

– Work in any fertilizers you may need according to the directions (usually lb/ft2)

DO NOT WORK WITH WET OR FROZEN SOIL!

Raised Beds – You can construct your raised bed out of cinder blocks,

bricks, wood, a plastic or wooden kit, etc.

– Avoid using pressure treated wood; it’s treated with an arsenic compound, which can leach into your soil

– 3’-4’ is a a good width; make sure you can reach the center

– Bowing at the sides can be prevented by supporting the side wall

Prepare Your Soil for Planting

Ideal soil is:

– high in organic matter

– isn’t compacted

– drains well

Get your soil tested:

– to determine pH (optimum range is 6.2-6.8

– to ensure absence of heavy metals (lead, arsenic)

– to determine nutrient deficiencies in the soil

DO NOT WORK WITH WET OR FROZEN SOIL!

Plant Options • You can buy starters from the store (check

to make sure you aren’t importing pests and pathogens into your garden)

• Most warm weather varieties do well with direct seeding

• Cold weather crops and warm weather crops that take a while to germinate, start seedlings indoors 6-8 week before planting outside

When to Plant

- The average date of the last killing frost is April 15th

- Seedlings can be started inside 6 - 8 weeks prior to that date

- Direct seeding can take place once the danger of frost has passed and the soil is warm enough to work

DO NOT WORK IN WET OR FROZEN SOIL!

The Seed The seed needs light, water, and the right temperature to germinate

Read the seed packet : It tells you when to plant your seeds Whether to start seedlings indoors or direct seed How deep to plant How much space between seeds, rows, and mature plants Number of days until germination When to thin Number of days until maturation How and when to harvest

It also shares other important information: The year for which the seed was packed is stamped on the packet If it’s been treated with a fungicide, or if it’s organic If it’s an heirloom variety or a hybrid

Starting Seedlings The average date of the last killing frost in the DC area is

April 15th

Start seedlings 6-8 weeks before being transplanting outside

• Copious amount of direct overhead light and warm temperatures are needed to start seedlings (so they don’t become leggy)

• When seeds germinate, transplant them so they have room to grow and don’t need to compete for light (overcrowding can also make them leggy)

• As they grow larger, continue to transplant them into incrementally larger pots so they don’t become root bound

• Before planting outside, they will need to be hardened

– After the danger of frost has passed, you can leave the seedlings outside for part of the day without causing damage, then try a day or two, then a night….

– Seedlings can also be left in a cold frame to harden (overnight is fine)

Weeding - Weeds are genetically superior to the crops we want to grow

They germinate faster

Grow faster

Reproduce faster

They outcompete most plants for limited resources

- Use a hoe to make the work faster

- Hand pulling is easier when the soil is moist

- Remove the entire root system

- Remove the weed before it goes to seed

- Weeding is important and labor-intensive, but there are options:

- You can mulch around your plants with hay or mulch to crowd out

the weed seed

- Lay down a black fabric sold that allows water and air to pass through

- Black plastic is also used for the same purpose, but only lasts one season

- Plants can be spaced far apart enough to encourage maximum

growth yet close enough to crowd out the weeds.

Watering

The cardinal rule of planting is ALWAYS WATER AFTER YOU PLANT

Water After Transplanting: – Watering settles the soil around the roots, helping the plant get over the shock of

being transplanted – When watering seedlings, make sure the water pressure is that of a very gentle

shower

You know you need to water when… – Stick you finger into the soil a few inches below the surface. If it’s dry, water it. If it’s wet, leave it

How to Water: – It’s best to water in the early morning – Water by the base of the plant to avoid getting the foliage wet – The sun can scorch wet foliage when it’s at its strongest – Watering at dusk or night encourages disease, fungal growth, mold and mildew – Don’t wait for the plant to wilt before watering. It stresses the plant unduly and

weakens its immune system leaving it vulnerable to pests and pathogens

Fertilizing: Types of Nutrients

Macronutrients:

- Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (N-P-K) are the 3 basic nutrients that a plant needs to grow

- Any organic or chemical fertilizer will provide these nutrients

- Over time chemical fertilizers degrade soil quality by killing beneficial microbes present in the soil

- Organic fertilizers build the soil by releasing nutrients more slowly over time, are beneficial to soil microbes and replenish organic matter

Micronutrients:

- Plants also need micronutrients, trace elements -- like calcium, iron and magnesium -- but in smaller quantities

- A lack of micronutrients can cause diseases like black bottom rot which affects tomatoes and can ruin a year’s harvest

- Micronutrients are present in organic fertilizers, but not chemical fertilizers

Fertilizing: Listen to Your Garden Nitrogen (N):

- Promotes new growth

- A tell-tale sign of too much N is luxuriant green foliage, excessive growth, and your plants won’t bear any fruit

- Uniform light green or yellow coloration of leaves indicates N deficiency (1)

Potassium (K):

- Needed for over-all plant health and growth

Phosphorous (P):

- P promotes root growth, seed production and fruit production

- Root crops and heavily fruiting plants especially need P

- P deficiency can appear as a uniform wine-red coloration on the oldest leaves of plants or, in other species, older leaves will be light yellow-green in color

- P-deficient plants are typically severely stunted compared to normal plants.

- P deficiency, in combination with K deficiency, results in diffuse reddish spotting on the oldest leaves1

(1) Timothy K. Broschat, Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms of Woody Ornamental Plants in South Florida

Phosphorous - Your plant can be P deficient even when it’s present in the

soil

- P is present in the soil but in a form that’s chemically unavailable to plants

- Consider that any P that you apply will either bind to clay particles in the soil and also become unavailable or will dissolve and leave your garden via leaching or runoff

- P is a major environmental contaminant due to over application

- The best way to keep P in your garden is to apply compost, which releases water soluble P slowly over time

A Word About Fertilizing Environmental Implications:

- Using too much fertilizer (organic or chemical) degrades water quality

- Nitrogen and phosphorous are both water soluble; they leach into the ground water and runoff into waterways

- This kind of non-point source pollution results in eutrophcation: excessive algal blooms utilize all the dissolved O2 ,creating dead zones that are unable to to support marine life

Mitigation Techniques:

- Riparian buffers are a great way to protect the streams and waterways from agricultural runoff

- Contour farming prevents runoff by by planting perpendicular rather than parallel to the slope of the land

Preventing Pathogens and Pests

Get a good start:

- Use resistant plant varieties

- When buying starters, check plants for insects, holes, unusual spots and

weird growth

- To encourage good air flow and discourage pathogens, space your plants correctly

Practice good garden hygiene:

- Keep up with your weeding; weeds provide habitat for pests and their eggs

- Insect eggs may overwinter on weeds, dead plants and other debris, so clean your garden and throw the plant material into the garbage to get it away from your garden

Rotate your crops:

-This can help prevent pest infestations and prevents nutrient depletion

Avoid monoculture:

- Pests that feed on a specific plant can spread exponentially if there is a monoculture

- A variety of plant on which the pest does not feed acts as a barrier and can limit the degree of infestation

Mary Farrah

Urban Gardening & Forestry Outreach

The Institute for Applied Urban Agriculture

Cooperative Extension Service

Phone: 202-274-6682

Facsimile: 202-274-7130

Email: mfarrah@udc.edu